RALEIGH, N.C. — For every child in an after-school program, there are three more children waiting to get in. This is according to a 2020 report by the Afterschool Alliance, which collects national data about after-school experiences and barriers to participation.

What You Need To Know

  •  Aprendo, a Raleigh after-school program, is helping students learn English as a second language 

  •  The after-school program received money to help them reach more students

  •  Aprendo will be adding another team member to their program and have hopes of expanding

The report said there is a high unmet demand for after-school programs and that demand is highest among traditionally underserved communities. One Raleigh after-school program, called Aprendo, serves the Latino community as well as refugees. Leaders said they are seeing a growing need for programs like Aprendo.

“Through this program, we are able to help them with whatever need they may have in regard to the reading for school,” Lynda De Dios, Aprendo educational coordinator, said. “We are also able to help with homework, which a lot of times parents cannot help with because again they don’t speak the language.”

Aprendo is a part of a bigger organization called Neighbor to Neighbor, which provides after-school program care to the Raleigh community. Mentors sign up to help children learn English. The program is running in two locations, and they would love to add more students, but there is a challenge.

“Because our program is only possible through our mentors, we’re basically just waiting to get more and that way we can add more students,” De Dios said.

Luckily for them, Neighbor to Neighbor recently received $180,000 from a fundraising initiative held by students from Enloe High School. Aprendo will be getting some of those funds, which can help leaders reach more students.

“We will expand the capacity for our after-school program, meaning that we will get more students in and we will also expand our staff,” De Dios said. “So, we are in the process of adding another team member to our program, which is very much needed with all the growth that we are experiencing.”

Aprendo leaders said one of the biggest hurdles they face right now is space. They have one location in Downtown Raleigh and their other location operates out of Millbrook United Methodist Church. While they are grateful for the church, they would love to have their own building to add more students.